Locking brace for folding table legs



Spt. ll, 1951 J. B. ADLER LOCKING BRACE FOR FOLDING TABLE LEGS Filed Jan. s, 1949 INVENTOR. JoHN 8. ADL ER.

BY Y' ATToRNEX --lnk joined -to .the .table frame -at one .end and the: pivotalleg together with -means rfor .retain- .ingly securing-said leginlopeniposition. 'l5 the free ends suitably secured to each other as by .derportionof said Spin when Kthe table 'lieg .is -po- `biasedrlation thereto so thats'aid-linkis under rigidity;

' table leg. larlf i 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Patented Sept. 11i, 1951 FOR FOLDING TABLLGS @John {Bf-Adlerflincoln P'ak, T-ll/Iich.; 'a'ssig'nor to Shwayderrotherg Ecors', Mich., "a cipifation of'Colorado Appiationioamrary 3, 1949, s'er'ialfNo. '68,931

2 claims. (ol. 'sri-99) rEhis-invent-ion yrelates --to card table-:construc- Aigure 8 is a sectional view taken online 8L-8 stroma-and more :particularly toa'noveltableleg o`f Fig. 7. l supporting.and-'securing device. It will be understood that the above drawing fltlislthey object of :the-.presentinventiontofproillustrates merely a preferred embodiment of the vide-.a novellegmountingforacard table includ- '5 invention, and that other embodiments `A'are con- .ing'aleg --supporting fbracket Withinwhich the templated within the scope of the claims here- .leg lisqoivotallyfmoun-tedl together -witha pivotal after 'set out. Referring to the drawings the card table inretainingly engaging athe ltable ileg lat .its other cludes the rectangularly shaped open frame "II endfor securingthesame inopen-position. 10 which is formed from tubing of circular crds's It is .the further robiectof this invention 'to 'section which has been drawn to the approxiprovide a control link .pivotally .joined to the 'mate velliptical shape shown 'at' "l I a, Figure 4. In .tableirame and ihavingasliding Vconnectionwith practice the tubular support is formed 'to acorn;-

'plet'ed rectangle, not shown in the drawing with -QItfisthe `further objectof thi-siinvention top'iowelding. fvidelinrsucli alinkage .a slotted portion .therein Each Yof the four pivotal legs of the table are "forretaining'ly receiving@J spin, saidslottedipor- 'mounted in the manner villustrated in Figures 42, tion terminating in .a `.circular opening of in- 3 and '4, there being a separate mounting 'fr each creased diameter fo'rflockinglyreciving.a'shoul- 20 leg, one of which is 'shown inthe drawings fr illustration. sitioned at .riglitan'gles to Ythe .planear the ltable Referring to Figures 2, 3 and 4, 'a legwsupprtframe. ing bracket 2 is secured to the table Yframe H ."Itis .the'furthe'r ,object` of this inventionto pivas by the welds I3 vaniil I4, 'and perhaps the addiotally mount said Alink vto the table 'frame in la J5 tional welds l5 and 'I6 if desired for additional itension W'hengui'dably receivingthe locking-de- KSaid ylOLQkP/ G glally ldtd by' vthi?v flvsq that .when 'the leg is .in 'fully open vposimeral Yl-2`inclucl'es the parallel spaced inturned leg 'tion .said iink will 'resiiienuy snap into fio-king Supporting elementen and 1 8, the Central por'- relation with said locking device. 30 tion I S and 'the straight portion 20. The outer These ndo-ther bbjets wiube gn .fro/inthe redges-'of the bracket l22e are arc'uately formed 'fonowing Vspecification and claims lin conjuneat -point's 2|"iorco'operative registrrwith therf4tio-n lwith the appended 'rawiiig'in which; resifindirearcuate prtibns L'22 at the tp and Figure T1 is a fragmentary plan 'View of a card OO'I the tabl@ fram? U table with the @over therefor brkenawayto 135 Oneendof the bracket 12;#2@ is 'formed with n'illustrate one foimfof .pivotal m'iiritiiigrr "the the iembos'smt v3 threonfwhich has-an 'angu- "ed outer surface 24, which as ys'hcniin lFig'ure`2 is a 'similar'view illustrating a slightly -'1i-l;4 -Zeiitendsto'wardsa corresponing DOY- dilere'nt form of l'pivotal mounting cfor the table "0f i? *hable 'flm-l las Shoiifn.y *leg and including fa linkage for securinetne saine 40 iep'ivotal table leg `2'5 ispositioned between b het 'elements 'Il and I8 J4and is pivotally i' ned to bracket element B23 bythe rivet -2li vwhich 'eXtend'S from 'said bracket and engages the 'adj acent inner wall of fsaid lefg.

vin 'ully opened position.

Figure 3 vis 'anielevati'onal section taken on line 'Figure 4 'is 'a transverse 'elevatinal seton "taken'on'line 4;4 of Figure '3; 5 Reinforcing bracket A2"! is 'secured fat one Aend Figure 5 lis a fragmentary elevational `vieri! vor at pointi to the leg 25 *andis-'so formed as to ekthe outer lower -end portionof theleg en'gagi'iig tenti upwardly withits opposite end "pivo'tallv 'link shown in Figure 4, being a section iinjiii'ie joined to bi'aket lment I1 by th-rivet 29. By 5 -5 of Figure 3. I this construction it is apparent that the |legx'r'ray A 'Figure A6 'is asection taken'on line '6 6 of Fig- 5'() 'bepivoted from the position rshown in the drawi1re5. ings 90 "degrees to the closed position in parallel Figure 7 is a View similar tO'Figre) 5 btposi- 'alignment with 'the frame lI 'tioned corresponding to the dotted line :indca- Anovel type "of linkage i'sinterposed'betweh tion of said link in Figurefi wherltlie legis par- 'said r'ar'n'e ar'i'dwan intermediate portion 'or d tiallycldsed'; and "5`5 leg for guiding thepivtal movements of'said leg,

3 tending to retain said leg frictionally in its closed position, and being so formed as to lockingly retain said leg in its fully open position.

This link 39 is substantially rectangular in shape with its peripheral portions folded over inwardly as at the points 3l to retainingly engage the insert 32 of corresponding shape which is longitudinally and centrally slotted at 33.

As shown in Figure 4 the lower end of the slot 33 terminates in the enlarged circular opening 34, while the opposite end of said slot terminates in another enlarged circular opening 35 of slightly increased diameter.

Link 30 is positioned at its upper end over the inclined surface 24 of embossment 23 and is pivotally joined thereto by the transverse rivet 36. Said rivet extends through corresponding openings in the link 30 and embossment 23 and is secured to the inner surface of said embossment which corresponds to and forms a part of the leg bracket element 20. Naturally the link is riveted to said embossment prior to assembly of the bracket upon and its securing to the table frame Il.

The locking pin which is carried by and secured to the leg 25 and which slidably engages the link 30 within the guide slot 33 has a central portion 31 of Asuch diameter as to be slidable within the link slot 33. The shank 31 terminates in the annular shoulder 38 of slightly increased diameter. and this shoulder terminates at its outer end in the annular shoulder 39 of still slightly increased diameter.

The diameter of shoulder 39 is such that the ,same may be inserted within the enlarged circular opening 35 at one end of the slot 33. The hollow interior portion 40 of the link 30 is of such depth as to permit complete entry of the annular shoulder 38 therein whereby the shank 31 may be slid longitudinally of the link slot 33.

The annular shoulder 38 is of such diameter that it will slide through the circular opening 34 at the opposite end of slot 33 and when so positioned the leg 25 will be retained in its completely open position as in Figure 6.

The shank 31 terminates in the portion 4I of a diameter less than the diameter of shank 31 providing the shoulder 42. The portion 4I of said locking pin as shown in Figure 3 is projected through corresponding openings formed in the yleg 25 with the shoulder 42 retainingly engaging said leg on one side thereof and with the outer portion of said pin 4I extending through a corresponding opening in the lower end of bracket 21, being riveted thereto at point 28.

By this construction it is apparent that the .locking pin 31-4l is effectively secured to the In view of the inclined surface 24 of boss 23 to which the link 30 is pivoted, it is clear that said link will normally assume the position shown in Figure 3 which is at a slight inclination to the leg 25. Consequently in order to release the shoulder 38 from the opening 34 of said link, it is necessary to manually press the lower end of link 30 vinwardly towards the leg- 25 until the tion 40 of said link with the outer surface of open, the shoulder 38 is retainingly received within the circular opening 34 of slot 33 and at the vsame time the annular shoulder 39 retainingly engages the slotted element 32 so that said pin may vnot be withdrawn therefrom.

relative position of the shoulder 38 and said link is such that the shank 31 is free to slide Within 4 'Y the slot 33.

Under this condition it is apparent that the link 30 will be under tension throughout the period that the shank 31 is sliding relative to the slot 33 as the leg is pivotally closed relative to the frame I`I. By this construction it is clear that an additional friction relationship is established which will tend to retain said leg in closed position.

Consequently in all positions of the leg 25 other than the fully open normal position shown in the drawings, said link 30'wll be under tension. This is due to the fact'that the Yupper end of said link is pivotally mounted upon the inclined surface 24 of theboss 23 which forms a part of the bracket |2-2ll. In view of the pivotal connection 36, the inner surface of the link 30 is inV cooperative registry with the tapered surface 24 lof boss' 23 so that normally said link will be bent outwardly at its lower end out of parallel relation with the corresponding portion of the frame to which its upper end is pivotally joined. v

It follows further that the link 30 will be at all times under this tension until the leg 25 has been pivoted to the fully open position shown in Figure 3, at which point annular shoulder 38 will be in registry with the locking opening 34 so that said link 30 will resiliently snap outwardly in the manner illustrated in Figures 3 and 6.

In operation the table legs are opened merely by pivoting the same outwardly, there being nothing to release inasmuch as in any position ofthe leg other than fully opened position the aforesaid -annular shoulder 38 `.bears against the inner surface of the insert 32 adjacent the slot 33, as

' illustrated in Figures 'l and 8. When the leg is fully Yopened link 30 with circular recess 34 will snap outwardly into locking position relative to shoulder 38 on locking pin 31. To release the legit is merelynecessary to press the lower .end of link 3D inwardly slightly until the shoulder 33 is fully outside of recess 34, i. e. to the position shown in Figure 8. After this the leg may be freely pivoted to the fully closed position.

A slightly different arrangement of the pivotal support for the leg 25 is shown in Figure l in which the rivet 43 pivotally supports saidleg with one end of saidrivet extending through .the portion I9 ofbracket I2, and with the opposite end of said rivet extending through the outer portion of bracket element I1, being secui'ed--thereto at point 44.

To `complete this construction the cylindrica spacer 45 is mounted upon said rivet with its ends interposed between leg 25 and the inner [surface of the bracket element l1, to thereby maintain the leg inthe position shown relative to said rivet.

In all other respects the embodiment shown in Figure l is the same as the embodiment shown in Figures 2 through 8.

A cover4 of substantially rectangular shape i. e. element 4t, is positioned over the rectangular frame work Il with the outer, peripheral p0rtions 46 of said cover extending to approximately the central top portion of frame i l.

A plurality of table top securing angle elements 47 are riveted at 13S to the under surface of table top 136, with the downwardly depending portions of said angle elements being respectively secured at spaced points to the inner Walls of the frame I i as by the screws 49.

Having described my invention reference should now be had to the claims which follow for determining the scope thereof.

I claim:

1. In a table construction, a leg pivotally joined thereto, a hollow elongated housing pivotally joined at one end to said frame in non parallel relation thereto, a centrally slotted leg engaging link for said leg nested and secured within said housing, there being a locking recess at one end of the slot in said link, a locking pin projecting from said leg into said housing and through said slot for sliding engagement relatively thereto, an annular shoulder adjacent the outer end of said pin normally positioned within said housing and slidably engageable with the inner surface of said link, said shoulder being retainingly engageable within said recess when said leg is pivoted to fully open position, a second annular shoulder of increased diameter upon the outer end of said pin and nested within said housing, with the outer surface of said latter shoulder slidably engaging the inner surface of said housing during opening of said leg, and with the inner portion of said latter shoulder retainingly engaging the inner surface of said link when said leg is in fully open position.

2. In a table construction having a frame, a leg pivotally joined thereto, a boss on said frame having a slightly inclined surface with respect to said frame, a hollow elongated housing bearing upon said inclined surface at one end and 6 pivotally joined to said frame in non-parallel relation thereto, a centrally slotted leg engaging link for said leg nested and secured within said housing, there being a locking recess at one end of the slot in said link, a locking pin projecting from said leg into said housing and through said slot for sliding engagement relatively thereto, an annular shoulder adjacent the outer end of said pin normally positioned within said housing and slidably engageable with the inner surface of said link, said shoulder being retainingly engageable within said recess when said leg is pivoted to fully open position, a second annular shoulder of increased diameter upon the outer end of said vpin and nested within said housing, with the outer surface of said latter shoulder slida'bly engaging the inner surface of said housing during opening of said leg, and with the inner portion of said latter shoulder retainingly engaging the inner surface of said link when said leg is in fully open position.

JOHN B. ADLER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of' record in the oi this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 777,160 Upson Dec. 13, 1904 1,705,347 Vaughan Mar. 12, 1929 1,727,833 Kress Sept. l0, 1929 1,876,447 Boenning .1 Sept. 6, 1932 1,832,939 Root Oct. 8, 1932 1,887,459 Murdock Nov. 8, 1932 1,955,492 Gallant Apr. 17, 1934 1,987,770 Boenning Jan. 15, 1935 2,022,399 Beiger 1 Nov. 26, 1935 2,270,217 North Jan. 13, 1942 

